


Ed Abbey

by LittleSweetCheeks



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Possible Slow burn, Season 12 spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-05
Updated: 2017-01-05
Packaged: 2018-09-15 01:25:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9213185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleSweetCheeks/pseuds/LittleSweetCheeks
Summary: She spluttered on her drink and leaned forward to grin mischievously, “You got to choose your own name, didn’t you?”





	

**Author's Note:**

> Season 12 references. 
> 
> This is a one-shot for now, if people like it I have some ideas for making it longer.

Subconsciously, he’d noticed the way the woman walked as she strolled up the beach.  Something in the back of his mind declared that he _knew_ that walk in a way that only someone who had at some time trusted their life to someone else knew. 

When the woman, face obscured by a large floppy sunhat, bypassed a dozen empty lounge chairs lined up on the mostly vacant beach and settled into the one directly to his left, he tried not to look curious.  It was an act of familiarity.  Most people tended to leave at least one open seat between themselves and a stranger.  Personal space, discouraging conversation, general wariness. 

A man carrying a tray approached them, ignoring him, and inquired to the woman over a drink.  He could hear the smile in her voice as she ordered in flawless Spanish.  He wasn’t surprised.  His handler was going to do a nut.  But where did you settle a man who had been in every major city just in the past decade, many more than once, and many small towns as well.  A man who had been splashed across international television and referenced in uncountable newspapers. 

She didn’t speak or even acknowledge him until after her drink, some electric blue concoction, had arrived.  She sipped and then spoke without turning, “They made you blonde.”

He frowned, “No ‘fancy meeting you here’?”

She finally turned and eyed him from beneath the wide brim, “I’ve known you were here for the past week.  Given the obvious changes in relation to my memory, I had to research first.”  When she saw his face harden, she added, “Don’t worry, I know all about not blowing cover.”  She put her hand out and smirked, “I’m Elle, and you are?”

He stared at her hand a moment before clasping it in his own while blushing slightly, knowing she would make the connection, “Ed Abbey.”

She spluttered on her drink and leaned forward to grin mischievously, “You got to choose your own name, didn’t you?”

“I was given one chance.  If I blow it, after this I don’t get to.”  He sat back in his seat and watched the waves.

“Well, I’m sure Ed was one of the first names tried, but Abbey, that one just might keep you invisible.  So, Ed, what is it you do for a living?”

He recited the information he’d been practicing, “I was an attorney until my wife passed away, leaving me with my son to raise alone.  After trying to juggle long hours and being a single parent, I decided to retire early, live off my savings, and move he and I to the beach.”

She watched his face as he spoke, there was truth in what he said.  The details were changed, but the ultimate sentiment was from the heart.  “How did your wife die?”

“Cancer,” he choked on the word.

She knew the story, had followed the news reports and read what wasn’t said.  Had known her former team and could see the strain and stress written all over them in the brief shots camera crews had gotten.  Cancer was a fairly good description.  A man who had been a cancer on society, killing whomever, whenever.  Without concern for the damage he was doing. 

“So it’s just you and your son now?”

He raised his bottle of water, “He and I, two guys taking on the world together.” He tried for a smile, but knew it fell flat. 

“What’s his name?”

“John.”  He replied without hesitation.

She turned to him fully at that, “Did you pick names as some sort of cosmic joke?  Practically neon lights flashing.”

This time his half smile was real, “But who would look at something so obvious?”

“A familiar researcher might try, just for the sake of ruling it out.”  She set her now-empty glass in the sand.  “So, why have you been sitting out here every day by yourself?” When he looked startled, she continued, “I told you I’ve known you were here for a week.  Though at first I couldn’t be sure it was you.  The blonde hair makes a bigger difference than I would have thought and the beard,”  Her eyes ran over him, “It’s different.  In my mind I still picture the you from a decade ago.  It’s strange seeing you look so…”  She shrugged.

“Old?”

“You said it, not me.  I’m sorry, by the way.”

“For what?”

“For what happened to your wife.  That you had to go through the things that _did_ make it on my radar and the things that didn’t.  And for probably having to make you move now.  Starting over is a bitch.”

He stared out at the waves a while, letting the sounds fill the space between them.  “What made you sure?”

“What?”

“You said at first you weren’t sure.  What made you sure?”

She stood, brushing bits of sand from her pants.  “Your laugh.  I couldn’t catch your voice in the restaurant but your son said something funny and you laughed.  Tossed your head back and just…I knew.”  She took a step away.  “When everything is better, may I give my doctor your details?”

It hadn’t crossed his mind that she would still be in contact with the team.  He had always assumed she’d made a clean break.  “I’m not sure.”

“Well, I work the bar down at The Walleye on the weekends.  It was nice to see you, Ed, I hope Florida is good to you.  The winters are lovely at least.”  She gave him a wave and walked away.

He watched her go and sat in contemplation.  He realized he hadn’t answered her question about why he’d been sitting there.  He wasn’t really sure himself. 

**Author's Note:**

> The name he picked- Ed as in J Edgar Hoover and Abbey as in Abbey Road, the Beatles album. (And Jack to John would be the 'J' of J Edgar.)


End file.
